Collectivism VS IndividualismIn the Lens of South Korea, China, and Japan
What is Collectivism and Individualism?
Most political debate of our time can be divided into just two viewpoints: collectivism and individualism. Individualism is a social theory that favors freedom of action for individuals rather than having collective state control, while collectivism is the theory of giving priority to a group over an individual. Here are some quotes for better understanding:
"INDIVIDUALISM: Individualism is at once an ethical-psychological concept and an ethical-political one. As an ethical-psychological concept, individualism holds that a human being should think and judge independently, respecting nothing more than the sovereignty of his or her mind; thus, it is intimately connected with the concept of autonomy. As an ethical-political concept, individualism upholds the supremacy of individual rights..." - Nathaniel Branden
"COLLECTIVISM: Collectivism is defined as a theory and practice that makes some sort of group rather than the individual the fundamental unit of political, social, and economic concern. In theory, collectivists insist that the claims of groups, associations, or the state must normally supersede the claims of individuals..."
- Stephen Grabill
-independent
-goal
-unique
-compete
-direct communication
-private
-self-knowledge
**What do each theory value?
What the two quotes are basically saying is that the main principle of individualism lies in one's pursuit of his or her own happiness (requires self-responsibility, independence, and initiative), while in contrast, collectivism requires self-sacrifice and giving up of one's interests to the favor of the group.
So I was curious, which theory are the three East Asian countries we have studied so far are they closer to? In this project, I will give my best to answer the question and provide historical and/or contemporary reasons to why that is so.
Japan
Society of Family and Clans
[Wa: Harmony] [Amae: dependency] [Enryo: reserve]
Japan is a society with a strong image of collectivism as they are very relationship concerned and they place their priority on the group. Japanese people avoid risks whenever possible and do not highly value individual liberty. In the Japanese business world, the work group is a crucial element as strong relationships and loyalty to the group are essential for success. They believe that when a member works to help the group or seek to make the group more efficient, everybody in it gains in some way. The Japanese place importance in participation, cooperation, teamwork, and loyalty. They are also very sensitive about shame (losing face), thus they strongly avoid open expression and conflict. Basically, these elements result in them to be devoted to work, collective responsibility for actions and decisions, and a high productivity.
The Japanese homogeneity has been in existence for a long period of time. The collective culture became an integral part of being Japanese and became inseparable. Throughout history, stability has been greatly valued in Japanese society and it is most profoundly demonstrated in Tokugawa Shougunate's policy of isolationism and strict social orders. The reason why the Japanese placed so much importance on stability is because they feared that progressive change would require exposure to the outside world. Within its closed doors, the Japanese obtained a strong sense of community.In Japanese society, people are born into clans (extended families), and they protect themselves in exchange for loyalty. People in the community obtain identity through social systems, and there is a dependence of individuals on organizations and families. In addition, Order, security, and duty are provided by the clan or organization.But how was the image of collectivism fixed in contemporary Japanese society? After World War II, Japan's economy was devastated. However, Japan faced a miraculous growth in the 1960's and 70's when the people cooperated with each other to survive and brought success in the end. The workers sacrificed themselves for the benefit of the company for the growth of Japanese economy as a whole, thus the image of collectivism was established. China
Long been a Family-run country, but is it still?
China has long been a family-run country and still is a rural nation. These two institutions, the farm and the family, make up the core of China and mentality of the Chinese people. Both a rural environment and the family are collectivists in nature as people must depend and work with each other aiming for harmony. As an example of collectivism in China, when Mao Ze Dong seized power he strengthened collectivism by eliminating individualists and landowners and sent nearly everyone to work in collectivist communes. Thus, it is apparent that the Chinese were more collectivists than individualists in both ancient and modern history. There are many examples of collective thinking in Chinese businesses, as they look towards the team as the reason for the company's success.
However, it is a fact that many scholars now believe China is moving towards an individualist society and collectivism will soon disappear. One reason to this is the one-child policy that is going on in China. This policy has left the younger citizens of the country to believe that they hold a special position and place in the world. Nevertheless, even though it is just a matter of time before China switches to being more individualistic, the truth still remains that China is a more collective society today. The sheer, vast size of China's population requires a collective mentality just to get things moving.
Korea
Community Bonded With Jeong:정
Korea is also a place where the community spirit is deeply embedded in its people's mentality. Throughout its five thousand years of history, Korea was plagued by invasions from the Japanese pirates, the French, the British, Manchurians, Chinese, Mongolians, and even the United States. Since its beginning as Gojoseon, the peninsula was invaded by foreigners more than three thousand times. However, Koreans struggled and refused to succumb to these foreign powers and eventually, this quality came to characterize the Koreans. To stay alive, Koreans were forced to unite with their neighbors, thriving on a community spirit. Another reason they needed to unite with neighbors was that Koreans were very skeptical and cynical of the ruling class; they believed only it is their responsibility to protect themselves. Collectivism can also be observed in the farms of Korea. Koreans use the system of dure, which is very similar to the collective farms in a socialist country. Dure is basically where everyone in a village farms together and shares the profit. Thus, the collective mentality still prevails over contemporary society in Korea and can be observed in various situations.
Jeong, or affection for one's neighbors, can be observed anywhere in contemporary Korea. Koreans often fight over a check to strengthen the community spirit, share their goods and food with neighbors, build relations in social institutions such as churches (figure above), and often cross each other's personal space. However, because of this extreme community spirit, Koreans tend to be exclusionary towards people who do not belong in their community and be indifferent to outsiders.
Comparison
I learned that the three East Asian nations, China, Korea, and Japan, all follow the theory of collectivism. Each people have a sense of "group" in their mentality and nobody is an island. However, because of this sense of belonging, these people tend to exclude outsiders and the policies of isolationism each country had is a solid proof of that. This is because throughout history, all three nations have been a farm and family based society, and people learned it was necessary to cooperate and depend on each other for success, security, and/or harmony. Yet, differences do exist between each nations as the Japanese are careful to each other to avoid potential conflicts, whereas Koreans easily cross each other's personal space. The Chinese are becoming more and more individualistic over time because of the one-child policy. However, I doubt anybody would disagree that Korea, Japan, and China are collective societies as they all demonstrate strong relationships with their community members and think of team before individual.
Evaluation
What did you contribute specifically to your project?
I started out by researching on what individualism and collectivism exactly is, and came across various sources that helped me a lot. After that, I applied each of the sources and connected the characteristics of each people to the historical background of them. After vigorous work, my project was created!
How successful do you think you conveyed your research to your audience?
I conveyed my research effectively by organizing each information into different categories for better understanding.
What would have made your presentation more successful?
I could've presented the fact in a more creative way than just boring text.
How successful do you think your technology-based materials were in conveying your research?
I used photos that represent the theory the people followed and embedded a video that clearly describes the differences between collectivism and individualism.
What would have made your technology-based materials more successful?
First of all, it is difficult to apply technology to my concept because my concept is a theory, not some tangible thing. However, I could've created a video on my own shows the examples of collectivism in each nation.
What did you learn from this project? Submit any other comments after this question.
I learned that all three east asian nations favor collectivism over individualism and the historical reasons why.
What is Collectivism and Individualism?
Most political debate of our time can be divided into just two viewpoints: collectivism and individualism. Individualism is a social theory that favors freedom of action for individuals rather than having collective state control, while collectivism is the theory of giving priority to a group over an individual. Here are some quotes for better understanding:
"INDIVIDUALISM: Individualism is at once an ethical-psychological concept and an ethical-political one. As an ethical-psychological concept, individualism holds that a human being should think and judge independently, respecting nothing more than the sovereignty of his or her mind; thus, it is intimately connected with the concept of autonomy. As an ethical-political concept, individualism upholds the supremacy of individual rights..." - Nathaniel Branden
"COLLECTIVISM: Collectivism is defined as a theory and practice that makes some sort of group rather than the individual the fundamental unit of political, social, and economic concern. In theory, collectivists insist that the claims of groups, associations, or the state must normally supersede the claims of individuals..."
- Stephen Grabill
-related
-duty
-advice
-harmony
-context
-hierarchy
-group
-goal
-unique
-compete
-direct communication
-private
-self-knowledge
What the two quotes are basically saying is that the main principle of individualism lies in one's pursuit of his or her own happiness (requires self-responsibility, independence, and initiative), while in contrast, collectivism requires self-sacrifice and giving up of one's interests to the favor of the group.
So I was curious, which theory are the three East Asian countries we have studied so far are they closer to? In this project, I will give my best to answer the question and provide historical and/or contemporary reasons to why that is so.
Japan
Society of Family and Clans
[Wa: Harmony] [Amae: dependency] [Enryo: reserve]
Japan is a society with a strong image of collectivism as they are very relationship concerned and they place their priority on the group. Japanese people avoid risks whenever possible and do not highly value individual liberty. In the Japanese business world, the work group is a crucial element as strong relationships and loyalty to the group are essential for success. They believe that when a member works to help the group or seek to make the group more efficient, everybody in it gains in some way. The Japanese place importance in participation, cooperation, teamwork, and loyalty. They are also very sensitive about shame (losing face), thus they strongly avoid open expression and conflict. Basically, these elements result in them to be devoted to work, collective responsibility for actions and decisions, and a high productivity.
The Japanese homogeneity has been in existence for a long period of time. The collective culture became an integral part of being Japanese and became inseparable. Throughout history, stability has been greatly valued in Japanese society and it is most profoundly demonstrated in Tokugawa Shougunate's policy of isolationism and strict social orders. The reason why the Japanese placed so much importance on stability is because they feared that progressive change would require exposure to the outside world. Within its closed doors, the Japanese obtained a strong sense of community.In Japanese society, people are born into clans (extended families), and they protect themselves in exchange for loyalty. People in the community obtain identity through social systems, and there is a dependence of individuals on organizations and families. In addition, Order, security, and duty are provided by the clan or organization.But how was the image of collectivism fixed in contemporary Japanese society? After World War II, Japan's economy was devastated. However, Japan faced a miraculous growth in the 1960's and 70's when the people cooperated with each other to survive and brought success in the end. The workers sacrificed themselves for the benefit of the company for the growth of Japanese economy as a whole, thus the image of collectivism was established.
China
Long been a Family-run country, but is it still?
China has long been a family-run country and still is a rural nation. These two institutions, the farm and the family, make up the core of China and mentality of the Chinese people. Both a rural environment and the family are collectivists in nature as people must depend and work with each other aiming for harmony. As an example of collectivism in China, when Mao Ze Dong seized power he strengthened collectivism by eliminating individualists and landowners and sent nearly everyone to work in collectivist communes. Thus, it is apparent that the Chinese were more collectivists than individualists in both ancient and modern history. There are many examples of collective thinking in Chinese businesses, as they look towards the team as the reason for the company's success.
However, it is a fact that many scholars now believe China is moving towards an individualist society and collectivism will soon disappear. One reason to this is the one-child policy that is going on in China. This policy has left the younger citizens of the country to believe that they hold a special position and place in the world. Nevertheless, even though it is just a matter of time before China switches to being more individualistic, the truth still remains that China is a more collective society today. The sheer, vast size of China's population requires a collective mentality just to get things moving.
Korea
Community Bonded With Jeong:정
Korea is also a place where the community spirit is deeply embedded in its people's mentality. Throughout its five thousand years of history, Korea was plagued by invasions from the Japanese pirates, the French, the British, Manchurians, Chinese, Mongolians, and even the United States. Since its beginning as Gojoseon, the peninsula was invaded by foreigners more than three thousand times. However, Koreans struggled and refused to succumb to these foreign powers and eventually, this quality came to characterize the Koreans. To stay alive, Koreans were forced to unite with their neighbors, thriving on a community spirit. Another reason they needed to unite with neighbors was that Koreans were very skeptical and cynical of the ruling class; they believed only it is their responsibility to protect themselves. Collectivism can also be observed in the farms of Korea. Koreans use the system of dure, which is very similar to the collective farms in a socialist country. Dure is basically where everyone in a village farms together and shares the profit. Thus, the collective mentality still prevails over contemporary society in Korea and can be observed in various situations.Jeong, or affection for one's neighbors, can be observed anywhere in contemporary Korea. Koreans often fight over a check to strengthen the community spirit, share their goods and food with neighbors, build relations in social institutions such as churches (figure above), and often cross each other's personal space. However, because of this extreme community spirit, Koreans tend to be exclusionary towards people who do not belong in their community and be indifferent to outsiders.
Comparison
I learned that the three East Asian nations, China, Korea, and Japan, all follow the theory of collectivism. Each people have a sense of "group" in their mentality and nobody is an island. However, because of this sense of belonging, these people tend to exclude outsiders and the policies of isolationism each country had is a solid proof of that. This is because throughout history, all three nations have been a farm and family based society, and people learned it was necessary to cooperate and depend on each other for success, security, and/or harmony. Yet, differences do exist between each nations as the Japanese are careful to each other to avoid potential conflicts, whereas Koreans easily cross each other's personal space. The Chinese are becoming more and more individualistic over time because of the one-child policy. However, I doubt anybody would disagree that Korea, Japan, and China are collective societies as they all demonstrate strong relationships with their community members and think of team before individual.Evaluation
What did you contribute specifically to your project?
I started out by researching on what individualism and collectivism exactly is, and came across various sources that helped me a lot. After that, I applied each of the sources and connected the characteristics of each people to the historical background of them. After vigorous work, my project was created!How successful do you think you conveyed your research to your audience?
I conveyed my research effectively by organizing each information into different categories for better understanding.
What would have made your presentation more successful?
I could've presented the fact in a more creative way than just boring text.
How successful do you think your technology-based materials were in conveying your research?
I used photos that represent the theory the people followed and embedded a video that clearly describes the differences between collectivism and individualism.
What would have made your technology-based materials more successful?
First of all, it is difficult to apply technology to my concept because my concept is a theory, not some tangible thing. However, I could've created a video on my own shows the examples of collectivism in each nation.
What did you learn from this project? Submit any other comments after this question.
I learned that all three east asian nations favor collectivism over individualism and the historical reasons why.
Citation
"Collectivism and Japan." International Business Wiki. Web. 11 June 2011. <http://internationalbusiness.wikia.com/wiki/Collectivism_and_Japan>.
"Collectivism in Japan." Promethea: Original Philosophy, Individualism, Individual Freedom, Human Potential, Organic Society, Liberty, Individuality, Promethean Capitalism. Web. 11 June 2011. <http://www.promethea.org/Misc_Compositions/CollectivisminJapan.html>.
"Collectivism vs. Individualism." FREEDOM KEYS. Web. 11 June 2011. <http://freedomkeys.com/collectivism.htm>.
Gallo, Frank. "Individualism Versus Collectivism in China." Home | Calypso Consulting. Web. 11 June 2011. <http://chinacalypso.com/content/individualism-versus-collectivism-china>.
"Individualism And Collectivism." Upload & Share PowerPoint Presentations and Documents. Web. 11 June 2011. <http://www.slideshare.net/uncstaff/individualism-and-collectivism>.
"Individualism versus Collectivism No. 1." Goals of Our Projects. Web. 11 June 2011. <http://www.hisa-net.com/values2.htm>.
"Japanese National Character." Scribd. Web. 11 June 2011. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/29727328/Japanese-National-Character>.
Rhie, Won-bok. Korea Unmasked. Gyeonggi-do Paju-si: Gimm-Young International, 2005. Print.